Sleeping Beauty
by aikoflutist247
Summary: There once was a tale of a Sleeping Beauty who would be awakened by her prince's kiss. Will Kazuko awaken from her dream? / Slightly AU, but not set in the mind set of Sleeping Beauty - it's normal High School years. RyomaxOC.


**Happy Valentine's Day everyone!**

****Here's a little ficlet for all you Ryoma lovers.

**Summary:** Kazuko and Ryoma have been best friends since they could remember. But, thanks to a little cold, Kazuko needs to ask herself if there could be something more between them. With Ryoma always sleeping, she wonders if there is such a possibility or should she deny it. Who will awaken this Sleeping Beauty?

**Pairing: **RyomaxOC

This is set a few years into the future when Ryoma is a senior in high school. Slightly AU because he has a best friend in this version, but whatever.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Prince of Tennis, and this plot was based off a manga called _Sleeping Beauty_ _(It's a smut manga, just for warning_.

**Claimer:** I own Kazuko and this story.

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><p><strong>Sleeping Beauty<strong>

_RyomaxOC_

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><p><em>. . .<em>

_You are sleeping beauty… someday, you'll be awakened by your prince._

_. . . . ._

* * *

><p>Kazuko was known to be a very patient and tolerant girl. Especially being the only female best friend of the famous Echizen Ryoma, she found that being aggressive or demanding toward the boy was responded with much resistance. She just found it easier to be friends if she only scolded the lazy and arrogant boy every now and then.<p>

Her single mother had just passed away, leaving her in the care of Rinko, Ryoma's mother. She had always seen Nanjiro as a father figure (since she never had one), Rinko as a second mom, and Ryoma as her slightly older brother, so when Rinko took her into their home as a permanent resident, she merely felt like it was a second home. When she felt her world had crashed down with the death of her mother, Ryoma had been there to lend a shoulder and ear, bringing her back to his home, already knowing that Rinko would want to keep her. It was then that Kazuko realized their close relationship and claimed each other as best friends.

She was always there for him, even when he didn't ask.

She had gone with him to America and came back to Japan to attend Seishun Gakuen with him, and later into its according high school.

She had been his tennis practice partner throughout their years of tennis training.

She had joined the girls' tennis team while he had joined the boys', both later becoming Captains in their third year during Intermediate School and in High School.

She had cheered for him wildly during his tennis matches while he merely showed up for hers.

She was there to encourage him when he tried dating Sakuno at the beginning of high school before he ultimately ended it with her after one date, claiming he did not feel anything toward her.

She argued with him over American and Japanese food – since she did most of the cooking with Rinko, she was usually in control of what breakfast and dinner would be, much to Ryoma's displeasure.

She was there for him during his ups and downs, just like any sister would be.

And for this particular morning, she was there when he was sound asleep on her bed, pushing her tolerance level once again.

An anime vein appeared on her head, and she balled her fist. Raising her first, she punched the seventeen year old boy hard on the head.

"OW!" He cried, sitting up quickly in the bed, cradling his precious head in pain.

"Ryoma!" She whined, pulling her blanket away from the boy, "You snuck into my bed last night again even after I specifically told you not to! Even after I warned you I'd sleep naked from now on if you did it again!"

The boy innocently rubbed his eyes of the sleep and turned to Kazuko with groggy eyes. "But, see? You didn't." He countered, pointing at the pajamas he'd given her one Christmas ago.

"It's not my fault next time you sneak into my bed and you find me in nothing!" Kazuko retorted irritatingly.

"Your bed is more comfortable," he simply said, yanking the blanket from her indifferently and wrapping himself within it.

"Then, go tell Nanjiro to get you a new one!" She pushed him off the bed with her feet, along with her blanket, "You've been sneaking into my bed a lot lately!"

Ryoma, having found the floor not anywhere near as comfortable as the bed, got up and simply moved to the bed again. "My house. My bed," he retorted.

"Ugh!" Kazuko exclaimed. She jumped out of the bed over the sleepy boy and flicked him on the forehead angrily, "You have _your own_ bed. This is MY bed, in MY room."

With his eyes closed, Ryoma merely smirked at her from under the covers. "In MY house."

"Urgh." This is why Kazuko had to learn to be patient AND tolerant. "Damn it, Ryoma. You need to learn how to be comfortable in your own room. You're always in my room."

This was true. Whenever they had homework or were merely hanging around the house, they'd end up in her room doing whatever. If one went to Ryoma's room, his remained spotless, as if no one ever went in there. Kazuko's room was an entire mess, despite her habit of being neat and clean. She always blamed it on the boy.

"Ah! Karupin!" The raven haired girl turned to the cat bed on the floor next to her, finding the cat had woken up from his slumber and was staring up at her quizzically. She bent down to pick him up, "Sorry, Karupin, didn't mean to wake you up. I forget you've been sleeping in here too, lately. Probably because Ryoma refuses to sleep in his own room anymore."

"Karupin prefers sleeping in your room, too." Ryoma explained with his eyes still closed.

The girl rolled her cerulean eyes before she glanced to the clock. "Come on, sleeping beauty; get up so we can be on time to school."

* * *

><p>"Ryoma!" Kazuko shouted up the stairs, "Are you ready yet? Breakfast is ready!"<p>

Wiping her hands on the apron she wore, Kazuko approached the kitchen to hang up her apron and join the table, already set up for breakfast. Rinko, who had been in the kitchen also helping with making breakfast, joined her soon after.

"Don't you think Ryoma will get upset?" Rinko asked with a knowing grin, "You know he hates American food."

"Too bad," Kazuko retorted, eating her croissant happily. "He slept in my bed again, and it's really getting on my nerves."

Nanjiro shuffled the newspaper in his hand, "He slept in your bed again? What does he want – a new bed?"

"That's what I've been telling him!"

"Telling who what?"

Ryoma finally appeared, rubbing his eyes, as he sluggishly walked toward the table. He leisurely took a seat next to Kazuko.

"Hey boy," Ryoma's father called, "you need a new bed or something? Why you always in Kazu-chan's bed?"

"Stay outta this, old man," Ryoma retorted, yawning loudly. "Her bed is just comfortable; she's always snoring off, so she never hears me. It's her fault she doesn't hear me in the middle of the night come in and occupy her bed."

Once again, Kazuko rolled her eyes. "Just shut up and eat your breakfast."

She took that chance to sneak a glance toward Ryoma to see his reaction.

After he finished rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Ryoma turned his gaze to the plate set out in front of him. His eyes narrowed before he rounded on the girl. "What the hell is this? I wanted Japanese food."

Kazuko scoffed at the boy, biting into her croissant happily, "And I wanted my bed to myself at night, but we don't always get what we want. So, stop being a spoiled sport." She turned a victorious smirk at him when her eyes trailed to his neck. She sighed heavily, dropping her croissant on the plate, and raising his hands to his tie. "Idiot, your neck tie's crooked."

As usual, he allowed her to fix his neck tie, staring at her as she did so. He liked being in close proximity with his best friend. His other friends always teased him about it, but it wasn't till recently that he noticed his desire to constantly be near her.

"Aw," the two heard from next to them. It was Rinko. "You two are so cute." It was her usual comment, and one that Kazuko always took as a comment for siblings. The older woman leaned on her hands, propping up her chin, "So, Valentine's Day is coming up. You two have plans?"

Once she was satisfied with Ryoma's neck tie, Kazuko resumed consuming her croissant while answering Rinko's question. "Nawh. It's just going to be another 'Happy Single-Awareness-Day' this weekend for me; I never get asked out or anything. I don't know about this guy though," she said, pointing over to Ryoma who was begrudgingly eating his breakfast. "He has too many fan girls; he needs at least five lockers to be able to fit all the chocolates he receives each year."

Ryoma shrugged. "None of that stuff interests me. I give them to senpai-tachi anyway," he started, referring to his former teammates back from Seigaku, "they devour it."

Kazuko laughed, "I can imagine Eiji-senpai a-a-Achoo!"

All eyes turned to her suddenly; Ryoma gave the girl a slightly concerned look, as much as one he would show. "You sick?"

The girl grabbed a nearby napkin, dabbing her nose. "Ah, I probably forgot to close the window last night, that's all. I'm fine."

Rinko began to get up from the table. "That's not good, Kazu-chan. I'll get you some medicine."

"No!" Kazuko cried, stopping the older woman, "I'm fine, I promise. You know I hate medicine."

Nanjiro turned another page in his newspaper, flicking his chin at his family. "Bah, just let the girl go. If she says she's fine, she's fine. Kazu-chan's a tough girl."

Ryoma stared at the girl wearingly before turning to his food.

An idea lit in Kazuko's mind, and she faced the boy, nudging him on the side, "Ne, want to make chocolate on Valentine's Day then? We can play tennis after, too."

As he bit into his croissant, he hid the smile that formed on his lips before it disappeared. "That's fine with me."

But, Rinko caught it, making her laugh. "Ah, seems like you'll have a fun holiday then."

* * *

><p>"As expected of the 'Sleeping Beauty of Seishun High'," Tomoko commented, her and the rest of her classmates staring at the slumbering form of Ryoma on his desk. Ryoma's desk was assigned toward the back.<p>

From her seat toward the front, next to the window, Kazuko rolled her eyes. "What else do you expect from him?" She said. "This guy gets at least ten hours of sleep a day."

The girl in the seat in front of her laughed, offering the girl a stick of Pocky. "No one bothers to wake him up; not even the teachers do much because he gets all the answers correctly."

"That boy seriously has too much luck, Kuno-chan," Kazuko commented to Sakuno, using her nickname. "Any question the teacher asks him is what we had reviewed the night before."

Tomoko, who sits in the seat next to Kazuko, stole a stick of Pocky before saying, "Then, he's lucky to have been reviewing with you."

"Pft, he's not grateful, though. That bastard," she countered, glaring a few seconds at Ryoma sleeping.

Both Sakuno and Tomoko laughed at their friend.

Even though Ryoma barely considered Sakuno and Tomoko as _his _friends, Kazuko considered them as such. Next to the senior trio, these girls were her closest friends after Ryoma. She had comforted Sakuno when Ryoma had ended it between them and helped her to move on from him, and she had persuaded Tomoko that Ryoma's fan club should end with good intentions (mostly on behalf of Ryoma). Kazuko had even helped them improve their tennis skills; the pair was a promising doubles team on the girls' tennis team.

They understood that Kazuko merely saw Ryoma as her brother and nothing more. But, they had mentioned on a few occasions that she and Ryoma have spent more time together than the average boy-girl best friend relationship; Kazuko merely brushed it off, reasoning that they did live together.

Nibbling on her Pocky stick, Sakuno said, "Valentine's Day is coming up. He gets a lot of chocolates each year, doesn't he?"

"From both girls_ and_ boys. You would not believe how many confessions from guys he's gotten over the last three years." An amused smile lit upon her features as she leaned leisurely against her seat, "Boys sure are passionate these days."

"Kazu-chan, you're giving him chocolate too, right?" Tomoko inquired.

The girl shrugged, "Not exactly. We're just gonna make chocolate and play some tennis." Tomoko and Sakuno looked at each other discreetly, but Kazuko thought nothing of it.

"Kazuko."

Blue eyes turned at the voice, finding Ryoma staring down at her. She grinned playfully up at him, "Ah, so you're up now?"

"Let's stop by the hamburger joint today." He said, not even asking.

"Mmk." Kazuko replied, not even wanting to argue. She liked the hamburger joint anyway. "Are we meeting Momo-senpai or a-a-Achoo!"

Ryoma stared at the girl in concern, frowning. "That's the second time you've sneezed today."

Tomoko quickly got a tissue and gave it to her friend, giving her a worried look, "Do you have a cold, Kazu-chan?"

The girl rubbed her nose caringly, sweatdropping at all their concerned looks. "I'm fine! I just forgot to close my window last night is all. I'm not going to die or anything."

A tap on her shoulder made her turn swiftly in Ryoma's direction; before she could move or notice, he was pressing his forehead against hers.

"I'm fine, Ryoma," Kazuko whined as the boy continued to compare their temperatures.

She was unbothered by their close contact. Every day was like this; she appreciated their banters and their time together, like real siblings.

"Your head is hot," Ryoma observed after a few moments of silence, pulling away from her.

"I'll be okay," she reassured. "Class is going to start soon anyway." Ryoma wasn't reassured, and he gave her a slightly intimidating look. Kazuko flinched at his expression and another sweatdrop ran along her temple, "Alright, alright! I'll go to the Nurse's office at break."

Satisfied, Ryoma returned to his seat as soon as the teacher was coming in.

Kazuko mumbled under her breath, "Annoying little spoiled brat."

Sakuno giggled quietly at her friend. "He just cares for you."

"A little too much." She mused nonchalantly, "But, I guess that's what brothers are for."

"Alright students!" The teacher called, "We're going to continue our lesson from page 24."

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><p>Halfway through class, Ryoma watched as Kazuko's seemingly mild cold got worse.<p>

She got the cold shivers, despite wearing a cotton winter cardigan.

Her nose began to clog every time she would inhale, making her have to breathe in through her mouth. But, breathing through her mouth made her even colder because of the somewhat cold air.

At one point, she sneezed once again, and she put a hand on her chest as a sign of a chest ache.

"_Maybe this cold is worse than I had originally thought. Well, class ends soon… I'll go to the Nurse's office right after-woah!"_

"Ryoma? What are you doing?"

"Sensei, I'm taking Kazuko to the Nurse's office."

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><p>"Well, that was embarrassing." Kazuko stated, drinking some of the tea that the nurse had given her.<p>

"How are you feeling?" Her friend asked, taking the seat next to the bed she laid in.

"You didn't have to do that, Ryoma."

He rolled his eyes when she evaded the question. "You're so stubborn; you wouldn't have gone if I didn't drag you here." Ryoma retorted, hanging her cardigan up and checking her tea.

The girl's cheeks flustered. "I was planning to go at break!"

"While sneezing in class?" He scolded. He reached for a bottle that been placed on the table earlier by the nurse and began pouring some of its contents into a separate drinking cup. "It's not good to leave it uncared for."

Kazuko fumed at the notion. But, she felt a bit odd. This was a rare moment: she was being pampered by a boy she constantly spoiled herself. Even though he was most likely sleeping in class, he had noticed her condition worsening. Even though he was known to be an apathetic person throughout any situation, he had displayed a bold and reckless gesture by carrying the girl in his arms from class to the Nurse's office while disrupting the lesson. All the students had been staring, some snickering into their hands, some in awe, and some in jealousy because THE Ryoma was carrying a girl bridal-style out the door.

The girl's chagrin did not disappear right away.

She watched as he carefully poured some liquid into the cup before capping the bottle away and turning to her with a stoic expression.

But, when she noticed the color of the liquid, her face immediately scrunched up in disgust.

"Drink it."

Stubbornly, she turned away and said, "No. I hate medicine."

"You have to if you want to get better," he pursued.

"My immune system can take care of me just fine."

In the cross between rough and gentle, he used his hand to move her chin toward him, forcing her to look at him. "Open your mouth."

"No!" She cried, trying to move her face in the other direction. "I hate… medicine…" Kazuko gave him a confused look, "Ryoma, what are you doing?"

The boy had suddenly tipped the cup's contents into his mouth. And without warning, he leaned in toward her, pressing his lips against hers.

Their very first contact between lips shocked her completely, making her gasp in surprise. The minute her mouth opened though, she felt liquid slip past from his lips to hers and down her throat. She recognized it as the revolting taste of medicine.

And once the medicine was transferred, Ryoma pulled away, smirking.

Still in shock, she touched her lips softly with her fingertips. They still felt warm…

"I win," he smugly said, getting up to give the medicine back to the nurse.

"_What the hell was that…?"_

Kazuko stared after the boy's retreating back, and the image and sensation of their lips touching rushed back to her head. A sudden heat rose to her cheeks, and she knew it wasn't a fever. _"It's the first time he's ever done this… I've never even kissed a boy before. But… that wasn't a kiss. He was just giving me medicine." _The prickling sensation of water forming at the corner of her eyes overtook her, and she began biting her lip in an attempt to stop them from falling. _"So, even though I know that… why…?"_

After notifying the nurse that the patient had taken the medicine, Ryoma came back to find tears falling silently down Kazuko's cheeks. His eyes widened, and he quickly ran to her bedside, "Kazuko?"

The minute her eyes locked with his, a burst of emotion exploded within her, her heart pounded against her chest, and the tears began to waterfall.

Ryoma's hazel eyes softened at her, realization dawning on him, and he reached a hand out to her, rubbing the tears away. "Don't cry…"

"_Why won't my heart stop pounding?"_

* * *

><p>Kazuko watched the boy in awe.<p>

"_Why haven't I ever noticed before…?"_

Ryoma was playing against one of his old friends, Momoshiro Takeshi. The college freshman had visited the school, knowing his younger friend would never deny a challenge.

But, the girl had never noticed the way his strokes had so much force, the way his sweat rolled off his body wonderfully, the way his grin and smirks never faltered, the way his passion never faded from his eyes. She never really noticed how people stared at him admirably until she did so herself – and it wasn't only his fan club either in the stands. The way he played drew everyone's attention toward him, boys and girls alike, wanting to always cheer him on as the 'Prince of Tennis.'

She felt herself blushing once more, realizing how much time the two actually spent together at school and at home for her not to notice him differently from a brother.

"_Was Ryoma always this cool?"_

With a final smash, Ryoma easily ended the game.

"Game, set and match to Echizen Ryoma! 6-4."

"Ah, I lost again," Momoshiro mused, resting his racquet on his shoulders.

"Mada mada dane, Momo-senpai," Ryoma countered with his own smirk, fist pumping his friend.

The raven haired boy swiftly turned around, finding Kazuko instantly in the stands as if his eyes always zoomed on her. She sat there alone on the stands, her attention toward his direction. He raised his hand to her and shouted, "Kazuko! I'll be out in five minutes; wait for me at the front gates!"

She stiffly nodded at him but couldn't meet his eyes, turning her direction to wave at Momoshiro as the two boys were heading to the boys' locker room.

Her heart began to race as she thought of _him_, and she held her hands against her chest to try to ease her heartache.

"_I can't feel like this… I have to act normal."_

* * *

><p>The display of "2:00AM" shone brightly against the dark room.<p>

Kazuko sighed heavily. She was having trouble sleeping.

She had fallen asleep four hours previously when she and Ryoma had finished their homework, but her eyes had fluttered open at this hour. For the last ten minutes, she had tried going back to sleep.

An image of Ryoma's infamous cocky smirk flashed in her mind, and her cheeks flushed.

Before today, they had treated each other as nothing more than siblings considering how long they've lived together with his parents.

But now… that kiss earlier… can she even call it a 'kiss'? He only did it to transfer medicine because he knew she loathed the taste and feel of medication.

Ryoma had never given her any reason to make her think that their relationship was any more than that of brother and sister. But then again… he never wore his emotions out on his sleeves, and he never truly expressed what he was thinking unless necessary.

She turned in her bed, her head beginning to ache.

The unbalanced weight she felt though when she shifted in the bed made her deathly aware that she wasn't the only one sleeping under her blankets.

Kazuko quickly sat up in bed, heat rising to her cheeks and her heart pounding wildly against her chest.

"Ryoma, you snuck into my bed again! Damn it…" She grumbled under her breath.

The boy was such a heavy sleeper that Kazuko's grumbling and shifting in bed didn't faze him as he continued to lightly snore.

Her cerulean eyes drifted over his features, and her gaze softened.

"_Why haven't I ever noticed him before like this?"_

Though others teased him with the name 'Sleeping Beauty', the beauty he possessed should've been coined as handsome. His hair was silky soft – probably from using her feminine shampoo, though he'd never admit to using it. Those arms that were sprawled across the pillow, the ones that had carried her earlier to the Nurse's office, belonged to a tennis player, strong but lean. Her eyes smoothed over his nimble fingers that had softly opened her mouth before she finally turned to his slightly parted lips.

"_The same lips that had forced…"_

She felt her body move on its own, her heart still beating loudly. She lowered her head toward his, inching her lips closer and closer to his own. She was mere centimeters away from him, being able to feel his breaths against her cheeks.

But, the moment their noses touched, she saw his eyes flutter open.

He blinked once before his eyes widened slightly. Groggily, he said, "Kazuko…?"

In a split-second, her cheeks were burning, and she flew off the bed, clumsily hitting the floor. Recomposing herself, she quickly got up and said in a flurry of words, "Sorry, Ryoma! I'll just sleep in your room instead tonight, okay? I don't want you catching my cold!"

And before another word was said, she ran out the door and into his room where she locked the door.

Slowly, she slid her back against the door to the floor. Tears fell freely from her eyes once again. She didn't understand why. Did she… like him?

"_This needs to stop. I can't feel like this." _She sniffed softly, burying her head in her arms. _"I don't want Ryoma to see me like this…!"_

* * *

><p>This Valentine's Day Saturday came all too fast for Kazuko. A lot had happened within the last few days.<p>

She had secluded herself to talking only with Sakuno and Tomoko, denying any reason to hang out with the boy. She'd tell him to hang out with Horio or his tennis team, and later on, tell him to walk on home without her.

When they were both at home, she'd try every way to evade talking to him for too long, opting to cook with Rinko or hang out with Nanjiro up at the temple. At the dinner table, she barely conversed with the boy, creating awkward silences at the table which Ryoma's parents took immediate notice.

Kazuko had even begun locking her bedroom door so Ryoma couldn't sneak in. She'd wake up in the middle of the night, guilt eating at her, when she would hear the jiggle of her door knob and the quiet footsteps retreating from her room.

During the morning of Valentine's Day, Ryoma had met Kazuko in the kitchen, asking when she wanted to play tennis for their day together.

"Actually, Ryoma…" She started slowly, trying to conjure a lie in her head, "I was thinking of hanging out with Sakuno and Tomoko today…"

Ryoma's gaze bore into her eyes disappointedly. "We're not making chocolate?"

Kazuko averted her gaze, biting her lip.

Her lack of an answer made the boy slightly irritated, making him approach her, leaving only a foot between them. Still, she didn't make eye contact with the boy.

Tension built between them and he knew. Ryoma heavily sighed, raising a hand to her hair, brushing her bangs from her eyes, and catching her attention. "Kazuko…" He spoke in a soft tone of voice that she was aware that he only used with her. "You've been acting weird lately. Are you still sick?"

She felt herself blush from the close proximity, her heart pumping blood at quick rates throughout her body. She couldn't take it anymore, and she slapped the boy's hand away, shoving him back. "We're not kids anymore, Ryoma!" She felt the familiar prickling sensation in her eyes once again, but she forced it away as her heart began to ache. "Quit clinging to me!"

Ryoma's eyes became wide. She had never said that before…

Her breath caught in her throat as she watched him avert his gaze to the ground. "…I understand." He finally said after a few moments of silence, "We shouldn't behave like kids forever. I won't be that spoiled brat anymore. Don't worry."

He walked away from her after that. Not long after, he left the house with his tennis bag.

* * *

><p>Kazuko sighed as she walked up to the front door of the Echizen household. She had just come back from the market, buying ingredients to make chocolate.<p>

She quietly unlocked the door, leaving her shoes at the entrance, and softly called out, "I'm home."

She was met with silence.

Rinko and Nanjiro had stated they would be back late today, and she didn't know when Ryoma was coming back.

That left the entire house to her for the day.

"Oh, hello Karupin," Kazuko greeted the feline. "Of course, you're usually home. Want to help me make chocolate?"

The Himalayan spotted cat pawed after the girl as Kazuko entered the kitchen with her groceries.

One hour later, she had finished decorating her chocolate cake and was staring at it solemnly. Karupin had fallen asleep on the counter.

"Today truly marks 'Happy Single Awareness Day'…" She mumbled, cutting a slice of the cake for herself. She silently ate her slice, her heart aching for the company of her best friend. "My first Valentine's Day… alone…"

She sighed somberly. _"I hurt him… Even though he's done nothing wrong."_

Memories of their seventeen years together flashed in Kazuko's mind, the past seventeen Valentine's Days being shared together, and tears formed at the corners of her eyes.

"_I won't be that spoiled brat anymore."_

Swallowing the last bite of her slice of chocolate cake, she raised her hands to her eyes to rub the falling the tears away. Chocolate wasn't helping her heartache, like the myths usually said it would. _"I hurt him and left him… I've finally realized." _She sniffed loudly, unable to stop the flow of tears falling from her eyes, _"I'm the one who wants to be together with him. I'm the one who needs Ryoma…"_

The sound of the front door opening and closing perked her ears. Her breath hitched when she heard a familiar voice call out and say, "I'm home."

Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of Ryoma entering the dining room, his tennis bag hanging loosely on his shoulder. He stopped in his tracks when he saw who was standing in the kitchen.

They both stared at each other in silence, both not knowing what to do next.

The guilt ate at her more intensely than ever when his hazel eyes had glanced to the chocolate cake displayed on a dish stand to the plate filled with leftover chocolate cake crumbs and finally to her tear stricken face.

"You made chocolate…" He observed quietly.

"Y-Yeah…" She responded softly. Unable to bear the guilt, she bowed her head toward the boy, her tears still falling. "I'm so sorry for my behavior lately, Ryoma. It's just…" She took a deep breath, "It hurts when I'm with you, Ryoma. When we were younger, it was okay for us to be in the same bed… but now…"

"You ate the chocolate by yourself…" Ryoma interrupted, dropping his bag and approaching her.

She sniffed softly, rubbing at her eyes, "There's still more if you want some-"

"No," he curtly interrupted, lifting her chin with his hand. His hazel eyes intensely gazed into hers, making her cheeks turn red. "I'll settle for this."

And without warning, he pressed his lips against hers. He easily dominated the kiss, slipping his tongue past her lips, swirling his tongue against hers and her teeth, swiping out any chocolate traces he could find within her mouth.

Her whole body felt hot, and Kazuko's knees buckled from under her. But, Ryoma swiftly caught her in one fluid motion, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer. Tentatively, she placed her hands on his chest, grabbing a fistful of his shirt.

When air was biting to get back in their lungs, Ryoma finally pulled away but still held her close to him.

He licked his lips pleasingly, smirking down at her. "Chocolate was good."

With reddened cheeks, she stood rigid in his arms, not knowing what to say. "I-I'm… so confused right now…"

Ryoma sighed, and he began running a hand through her raven hair calmly. "You said it hurts, right?"

Kazuko blinked up at him, still confused. "…Yes…"

"Then, you must've realized your feelings for me."

Cerulean eyes broadened widely, her cheeks flustering even more, "H-How did you know!"

The boy's trademark smirk returned, and he poked the girl on the forehead. "Idiot. I know everything about you, Kazuko."

A wash of guilt fell over her as she looked away from him. This whole mishap could have been avoided if she had been truthful to him. They were best friends after all.

And once again, Ryoma lifted the girl's chin, making her look at him. His smirk was gone, replaced with an expression that was always so rare for her to see: one of genuine care. A warmth spread throughout her body as he said, "Me, too. When I'm with you, my heart races and I can't sleep."

Kazuko's eyes widened once more, not because of his confession but because this was the first time he was being up front about his feelings.

"_Wait a minute… So, that's why he's always sleeping in class?" _The image of Ryoma merely laying his head on his desk popped up in her mind; he wasn't sleeping, but he was gazing at her with longing. _"Since when did he…" _She stared into his hazel eyes, seeing a love that she'd never been able to see before. _"Have feelings for me…? When did he start hiding them?"_

As she continued to ponder, Ryoma eyed her with amusement and subconsciously pulled her closer, cradling her head to his chest. "Kazuko, you're more like sleeping beauty than I am."

"…How?"

"I was always waiting for you to open your eyes…" He pulled away, placing a hand on her cheek. She saw his smirk right away, "And fall in love with me more and more."

She stared at him incredulously before she let out a laugh, an explosion of emotions bursting within her. "You cocky bastard," she stated vexingly, grabbing his shirt and pulling him down for another kiss.

A few minutes later of intimate kissing, Kazuko grinned evilly against the kiss; despite working hard on her beloved cake, she broke off a piece, pulled away from the kiss, and smashed his face with it.

"Ack! Hey!" He shouted at her when he felt she was no longer in his arms, face caked with chocolate.

"That's for making me feel guilty this whole week AND not telling me of your feelings first!" She yelled back at him, running toward the stairs while giggling all the way.

Ryoma growled from under his breath, but a smirk was hidden away as he chased after her. "Who's the one that said we aren't kids anymore!"

"Look who's talking!"

But she was no match for the Prince of Tennis, and he expediently trapped her within his arms from behind, and she couldn't stop laughing.

"_He was this close all this time."_

_The kiss of a prince… who would cause Sleeping Beauty to open her eyes._

* * *

><p>The End!<p>

I didn't really edit this one because I wanted to get this story out by Valentine's Day, so here you are! Hope you enjoyed it!

I might post up another smutty version of this fic, but for now, it's for everyone to read.

Happy Valentine's Day! Or Happy Single Awareness Day!


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